WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors unsealed new charges Wednesday against two Maryland residents accused of unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Kathryn Diane McEvoy, of Bel Air, and Jesse Evans, of Abington, face four misdemeanor counts of entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct and parading, demonstrative or picketing in a Capitol building. Both were arrested Wednesday in Baltimore.
According to an affidavit filed in D.C. District Court, the FBI received a tip claiming McEvoy had entered the Capitol on Jan. 6 alongside a man later identified as Evans. Evans later sat for an interview with the FBI in August 2023 in which he acknowledged he and McEvoy had entered the building.
During the interview, Evans reportedly told the FBI he and McEvoy, his childhood friend, had attended the Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6 because he believed his presence would “bolster the numbers of concerned citizens and force Congress to take a further look at the election.” Evans said he and McEvoy had listened to a portion of former President Donald Trump’s speech before heading to the Capitol, where they saw a group “getting rough and rowdy with the police.” Evans said he and McEvoy also saw barricades knocked down and that he was exposed to a chemical irritant deployed by police before deciding to enter the Capitol. Charging documents include a photograph McEvoy allegedly took showing “Area Closed” signs on bike racks and snow fencing around the Capitol.
According to charging documents, Evans and McEvoy eventually entered the Capitol through the Senate Parliamentarian Door which, Evans told investigators, was being held open by a woman in a pink beret. A photo taken by Evans that was included in charging documents shows a woman the FBI has identified as Jennifer Inzunza Vargas Geller holding open the door and appearing to usher others inside. Geller was charged in May 2023 with the same four misdemeanor counts as McEvoy and Evans. Geller is believed to be living in Asia with her husband, Spencer Geller, who was charged with a felony count of civil disorder along with the same misdemeanor counts in July 2023.
Once inside the Capitol, investigators said McEvoy and Evans entered a Senate office building for a short time and took pictures of the building. Both left through the same door they entered after the Senate office was cleared by police.
In a September 2023 interview with the FBI, McEvoy reportedly said she believed “that the police had cleared senators from the building so that protesters could walk around inside the building.” McEvoy reportedly told the FBI she did not believe her behavior was unlawful.
McEvoy’s and Evans’ case was assigned for an initial hearing in D.C. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Harvey.